Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-09
One of CIeveIapds treasury Pets Bags
Some 1000.

One of CIeveIapd's treasury Pets Bags
Some SOC 900.
WASHINGTON, July 8th.-SomethiDg of
sensation was created in the Treasury De-
partment this afternoon by the discovery
that a trusted official in that department
has been guilty of a systematic attempt to
defraud the Government. The officer was
arrested yesterday afternoon at Wilkes
barre as he was about to take the train for
Washington, and his dismissal from the
service was ordered by Secretary Fairchild
this afternoon. His name is Oscar j. Har-
vey, and he has been employed in the de-
partment since June, 1885, when he was
appointed Chief of Horse Claims of the
Third Auditors office. 1t was while he
held this position that he perpetrated
the frauds with which he is now
charged. On the I'd of June last he
was transferred to the head of Division
in the Second Comptroller's Office, Di-
vision which has charge of claims of the
same nature as those in the one which he
Just left. Austin III. Brown, of indianapo-
lis, succeeded Harvey as Chief of Horse
Claims, and soon after he took charge of
the Office he discovered the frauds of which
his predecessor had been guilty. These
consisted of the passage of forty-three
fraudulent claims for horses. aggregating
$92, 600, and the preparation of many addi-
tional cases of similar nature which
were under consideration in the office. In
most cases the claims are for horses lost
during the late war, and are presented in
the names of officers of Pennsylvania and
New Jersey regiments. All OF the cases
appeared to have been prosecuted by w.
Wynn, of Philadelphia, and the services of
J. G. Monfofd, Notary Public, Philadel
phia, were called into requisition in con-
nection with the necessary affidavits. The
work involved the stealing of numerous
discriminating papers from the files of the
Department. In thirteen claims it was
found that the signatures involving the
names of 80 officers were forgeries. Sub
sequently it was found that the Second
Auditors name had been forged in the GER
tficates received from that Office, and also
that none of the Pennsylvania and New
Jersey cases in which Wynn was attorney
were entered on the records Of that Office.
WHOLESALE FoRGERIEs
The stamp of the mail-room in the
Third Auditors Office and the stamp of the
Horse Claims Division had been forged and
the dates arranged so as to bring them
within the Limitation fixed for the filing of
these claims. The stamp of the Post
master-GeneraFs Office was also forged.
The drafts were regularly issued, and the
examination of such as had been returned
as paid shows that Harvey and Wynn are
one and the same person, and that although
the drafts were drawn in favor of the
claimants of the money, with one or two
exceptions, went directly to Harvey or
some of his relatives. He had secured their
payment by forging the signature of the
payee and then indorsing the draft with
his own name. Monfort, the Phila-
delphia Notary Public like Wynn, the
attorney, was found to be a myth Most
of the notaries and persons named in the
claims are unknown to the department.. In
addition to the 43 cases passed, there have
been 10000 similar cases adjusted, aggre-
eating $4,000, and there are still pending
and unadiusted 6S cases. amounting to
$4,000, making total of ISL fraudulent
cases which might eventually be paid but
for the discovery. Harvey was brought to
the city by the officers Of the secret service,
who have kept him under surveillance
since he was first suspected lie asked to
see the Secretary, and when ne was in
formed Of the evidence against him he
broke down completely and made full
confession of his guilt.